Penning the Taj tales

When a gifted writer such as Manreet Sodhi Someshwar comes back to her home town to launch her third book, we think it’s time to get to know more about the author. Hong Kong-based Manreet is thrilled to be back in namma city and says, “I’ve been living abroad for 11 years now but I am a desi at heart. Bengaluru is my home town, my husband is a Kannadiga and my in-laws and family live in this city.”

Talking about her latest book The Taj Conspiracy, Manreet says it is an ode to her eternal love, the Taj Mahal. An award-winning copy writer, Manreet has penned two books earlier and is now excited to launch her new book. “I write to challenge myself, which is one reason why my three books are in different genres. Earning the Laundry Stripes was a popular fiction, The Long Walk Home was a literary fiction and The Taj Conspiracy is a thriller,” says the author. Her second book, The Long Walk Home has been called “a narrative of pain that knows no borders,” by lyricist and poet Gulzar.

With all the appreciation and awards she has won for her writing, we wonder what is different about Manreet’s new book. “The genesis of The Taj Conspiracy lies in my last visit to the Taj Mahal. As our guide took us through the Jilaukhana forecourt, I caught a fleeting glimpse of the white mausoleum perfectly framed in the arched entrance gateway. Before we could savour the moment, we’d stumbled through the gate into the lush gardens. When I objected to the lack of a narrative, he nodded sanguinely and proceeded to a garnish of urban legends. When we departed, I turned once to look at the Taj. It looked forlorn, as if it needed someone to tell its story. I resolved that day to write a novel around the Taj Mahal,” says the author.